My Stranger
by Stranded With Plums
Summary: Jd/Cox When a fist flies...don't let it be your own.


I do not own Scrubs. You can decide if this is a prequel to "My Floating Heart". I just wrote it thinking of it as being a separate story all on its own, but it's your call.

My Stranger

"Darlene-what did I say about you following me around for forever and a day...huh?" His eyes have officially left their safe havens, bulging red and flaming just for me. Oh how I elicit such responses from this man, I will never safely know, but for now I can dream.

"I, uh, had a question."

"No. You. Don't. Not anymore."

This throws me for a loop, I mean did I have a birthday and forget that the age I was turning somehow merited me with a little extra knowledge in the medical department or is he cutting me off at the knees because I completed my residency and am now a full-fledged doctor? I pick the latter.

"Look Dr. Cox...."

"Shush."

"But I need..."

"No, nuh-no, no. No. I will no longer cater to your pre-pubescent fantasies that I somehow am your mentor for all of eternity and that you can come to me about everything and anything at all, but let me let you in on this shattering news flash Newbie...I am free of you...and I like it. So with that being said, go dilly dally elsewhere Martha and good riddance."

"Dr. Cox, I really don't know what to say."

"Well, say okay and walk away from me."

My eyes are watering at this point and I am not a manly man by any stretch of the imagination, but I still try to hide my mini meltdown by quickly bringing my sleeve up to my forehead.

"Any last words, thoughts, feelings, resignations, objections, reading of the will, etc, etc, etc before we call it a day?"

"No. None."

"Fantastic work there Daphne and if you will kindly excuse me I am off to work alone-without you," the finality in his voice hits me like a ton of bricks.

Lowering my arm back down to my side, I watch as my mentor nods silently before taking his leave. Now, I would have let him go without a fight, but something in me snaps and I find myself chasing his retreating figure down the hallway. This isn't over.

"Hey! Dr. Cox." He briefly casts a glare in my direction before entering the break room. I am going in and this time somebody is going to get hurt-probably me.

Slamming the door behind me, I search the room, but find it empty and that's when the blinking channels catch my eye.

_He must be sitting on the couch._

I gather my courage and walk boldly towards the sofa where he is obviously sitting with the remote in hand flipping channels for his own amusement, however, it is at this moment when he chooses to stand from his seated position.

"Dr. Cox..." His facial expression states volumes about what he thinks of me being brave and in his presence while he is on a much-needed break.

"Look," I gulp in so much air that the next few words feel as if they are being strangled out of me "I just think that maybe you might be all wrong about me. Shockingly enough, I don't know everything and I'd like it if you would still be my mentor. I respect you. Don't you get that?"

His eyebrows raise momentarily at my request, but return to their normal positions as he continues to glare at me.

"Jd," I can see him opening and closing his hands into balled fists within his coat pockets, "you're on your own."

"But..."

Shaking his head vigorously, he belts out the last few nails in the coffin-"Now get the hell out!"

"NO!" I shout back. I am tired of being his whipping boy and there's no time like the present for putting an end to unnecessary wounds.

"What did you say Mary Sue," darting from around the couch, he now stood just mere inches away from my face. The man was pissed. Oh shit.

"I said no."

"And I said get the hell out."

"No."

This behavior right here is what frustrates me. He never gives any indication for why he feels the way he does about anything or anyone. He just gets angry.

"All I wanted to do was ask a question and you go off on this tirade about how I need to stand on my own and stop bothering you, but may I remind you that this is not piddly shit that I am inquiring about-No, it's in regards to someone's life Perry!"

_Smack!_

The force of his hand hitting my smooth cheek is enough to send me straight to the ground. For a split second, I am unable to think and my vision blurs slightly, but more importantly my inner voice is screaming in pain-_He hit me...he hit me....._over and over again.

I never look up to see if any remorse has played itself across his blue eyes, I just let myself sit in a daze on the floor, inwardly cringing as I hear him step back and head for the door. The click of the lock signals his departure.

(Next Morning)

With absolutely no help from anyone, I slithered my way to the car and back to my apartment without being seen so that I could nurse my bruised cheek by myself. Besides, I had to come up with some crappy explanation as how I exactly acquired my wound. After about a dozen cold and hot packs, three shots of tequila, and two boxes of Kleenex, I managed to form a story.

"Hey Bambi,...what...Bambi! How did you get that bruise?" Carla is the first to freak out, circling me like a mother lion, she attempts to assess the purple and black offender, but my yelps of pain cease her search of my face.

"It's nothing really. I just got into a fight at a bar last night and bam! I got this," I say in animated form, smiling stupidly, while pointing at my bruise.

"Oh, I see."

"You don't believe me do you?"

"No."

False hurt spreads across my features, I ask why, to which she replies that never in my life have I ever gotten into a fight at a bar and that starting now didn't make much sense so I'd better start spilling my guts, but as fate has it, a certain someone steps up to the nurses' station.

Pulling herself away from me, Carla speaks urgently to the man standing at the counter, "Oh, Dr. Cox, you have got to take a look at Newbie."

"What seems to be the problem." He speaks calmly, eyes never leaving the paper onto which he is writing.

"He has a bruise on his cheek-here take a look." Pulling my face forward so that he can examine his own folly is really making me uncomfortable. Not to mention Carla's hands are cold as ice. Gawd! I have got to get her on some iron pills.

His lack of response causes a crease to form between her eyes. "Dr. Cox! Newbie has an ugly bruise, the least you could do is take a look at it."

Spinning around tightly, his eyes bore into Carla's, coincidently missing my own, "He doesn't need me to take a look at it Carla. You're a nurse so go fix him."

I keep completely still, holding my breath as he releases Carla from his gaze, only to lock onto me-or more appropriately my bruise. His face is expressionless as he studies the welt upon my pale skin. No response. No remorse. Nothing, but he struggles still, with what exactly I don't know, but there is a war clashing behind those eyes of his.

"One hell of a bump there," staring unnecessarily into my fearful pupils, but hey at least he is looking at me and beggars cannot be choosers at this point.

"Yeah," I respond shakily. On second thought, I'm not sure I want him looking at me at all.

"Eh," the grunt is forced as if to say that acknowledging my existence also gives him bragging rights to the bruise, which he so does not want.

I understand clearly that he would rather die than be alone in any room with me so I will cheerfully swallow this bitter pill and get on with my work. I mean, what else is there?

(Break Room)

It's now 6 o' clock in the evening and the sun is wistfully falling behind the trees-the action almost mirrors my own inner world. Dimly lit and cold. I have found the courage to stay focused on my work and not let it wander over the sore subject of Dr. Cox. I _would_ rather die right now than actually speak his name-Perry. The sounds get stuck in my throat and my stomach threatens to expose what I had for lunch today to the world. In an attempt to escape, I found the break room empty and with it came a chance to unwind. I took it of course, be crazy not to right?

"What are you doing here?"

I know that voice and I dare not turn around for I am too busy staring out the window at the beautiful sunset. Damn him! However, he will not leave me if I do not respond so here goes nothing.

"Just staring out the window." I hear a distinct huff and then....footsteps-in the wrong direction!!!!

Cutting off another one of his questions, I decide to take control. "What are you doing here?"

Silence engulfs us, but I know that he is thinking-pondering in that head of his what to say next, for our relationship hangs in the balance.

"Getting a coke." _Oh really, well then why are you still standing no more than two inches away from me jerk, _I think to myself and it is a legitimate question considering the situation at hand.

I hate to be the keeper of time here, but what the hell! It should only take a person at the most two minutes and that is taking into account the finding and counting of the change for the Coke, but shit-he is taking his sweet ass time. And he is still standing behind me in case you were wondering...he hasn't moved...at all.

"Your Coke," I remind him testily. _Stop trying my patience jackass._

"Something wrong Priscilla?" _Oh yeah............_

Facing him with a vengeance unrealized yet even to me until now, bruise and all, I lay into him "Yes there is something very wrong here Per.. Dr. Cox! You hit me last night and this bruise is evidence, so why don't you take your higher than mighty attitude and shove it! I don't need your shit!"

I almost add an "I hate you" in there, but I figure I might have a sibling for my purple and blue child on the other cheek. Besides, it is a real possibility that I could get decked again. His facial expression borders on the lines of confusion, anger, and sadness-not that I care about the sadness part.

"I..."

"You what! You what Perry!" I said his name so now I am going to throw up-I had a tuna sandwich for lunch in case anyone is interested.

"I...I am...," He pauses briefly and I think that he just might give me an apology, but instead he finishes the job and smashes what was left our relationship into bits, "I am sorry that you can't defend yourself like a man. You really are a girl aren't you Peggy."

My face falls, distraught to say the least, the hope leaves my eyes and I sink back onto the chair. He simply walks over to the machine and gets a Coke. Every coin deposit sounding like a jack hammer in my hand, until I hear the fate-filled fall of the can. Death. I don't turn around for a second look as he leaves, I know that if I do, I will surely bare my heart to this horrible man. A man that I once called my mentor, but now his is no more than a stranger.

The door clicks shut and I am left alone...

The End


End file.
